Clothes washing machine



J. BocHAN CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE July 2, 1963 Filed A ril 9, 1962 INVENTOR. J'OHN BOCHAN BY w p $1M H S ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,095,721 CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE John Bochan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 185,921 4 Claims. (Cl. 68-133) This invention relates to clothes washing machines, and

, more particularly to an improved agitator and transmission assembly for use in such machines.

It is an object of my invention to provide a washing machine having an agitator of novel shape which is provided, through a novel and highly simplified transmission apparatus, with an elfective washing motion.

In one aspect of my invention I provide a washing machine which has the usual receptacle means for containing liquid and cloth-es to be washed. An agitator positioned in the receptacle means is driven through appropriate driving means which includes two gears. The first gear is rotatably mounted in meshing engagement with the second gear. Secured to the first and second gears respectively at points removed from their respective axes of rotation are first and second members to which the agitator is secured. The positioning of these members is such that a line between them and a line between the axes of rotation of the gears form an angle of continually changing magnitude during rotation of the gears.

This imparts a movement to the agitator which is determined by the movement of the line between the two members, and it has been found that a suitably shaped agitator provides a highly efhective washing action as a result of such movement. While various forms for the agitator have been found effective, one preferred form involves the use of a base, with a raised section covering one-half of the base. The raised section has wall portions substantially vertical to the base along a line running approximately through the center of the base, and has an outer wall which tapers back from the vertical wall portions. This makes the agitator far more eifective to move water before it when it moves so as to make the vertical wall portions move forward than when they move back.

The features of my invention which I believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section to show details, of a clothes washing machine, more particularly a vertical axis machine, incorporating the improved agitator and transmission means of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is' a view along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view along the same line 22 in FIGURE 1 showing the gears of the transmission in a second position;

FIGURE 4 is another fragmentary view along the same line 2-2 showing the gears in a third position;

FIGURE 5 is yet another fragmentary view along the same line 22 showing the gears in a fourth position; and

FIGURE 6 is a View in perspective of the improved agitator of my invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown therein a vertical axis washing machine having a clothes basket 1 provided over substantially its entire side wall and bottom wall with perforations 2, and which is disposed within an outer imperforate tub or casing 3. Basket 1 is preferably provided with an inwardly extending portion 4 at its top defining an opening 5. Enclosing basket 1 and tub 3- is a cabinet 6 which includes a base 7, a vertically extending back wall 8, a vertically extending front wall 9, side walls 10, and a top wall 111 in which an opening 12 is closable by a lid 13. In closed position, lid 13 covers openings 12 and 5, while in open position the lid aflords access through these openings to the interior of basket 1 so that clothes may be insertedinto and removed from the basket 1. Secured at any appropriate place such as, for instance, on the front wall 6 of the machine, is an appropriate sequence control device 14 which may be preset by means of a manually operable member 15 to provide a proper washing sequence.

Within basket 1 an agitator, generally indicated by the numeral 16, and which forms an important part of my invention, is provided, for effecting a circulatory motion of water within the tub 3 so as to effect washing of clothes placed in the basket 1. Agitator 16 is provided with a suitable washing motion through a transmission generally indicated by the numeral 17 which also forms an important part of my invention, and through which the agitator is connected to a shaft 18 driven by any suitable means such as a motor 19.

The bottom 20 of basket 1 is secured to a flange member 21 having a central portion 22 rigidly connected to the upper end of a sleeve 23 which is also rotatable by the motor 19. Motor 19 is intended to be reversible in the embodiment shown. When the motor is rotated in one direction, only the shaft 18 rotates, whereas rotation of the motor in the other direction causes rotation of both shaft 18 and sleeve '23 together at high speed. The rotation of the shaft alone provides the washing motion of the agitator, as is to be explained; the rotation of the shaft 18 and sleeve 23 together provides high speed rotation of the agitator 16 and basket 1 for centrifuging purposes.

Conventional means for introducing water into the machine are provided. These are schematically shown in the present case by an inlet conduit 24 leading into a valve 25 which controls flow of liquid through a conduit 26 having an outlet 27 discharging into the basket 1. Of course, both hot and cold water may be brought into the machine in this manner so that hot, cold or Warm (mixed) water may be used for any given operation. In order to discharge liquid from the machine, a suitable pump 28, which may be driven by any suitable means such as, for instance, direct connection to motor 19, has an opening connected to the bottom of tub 3 through a conduit 29. Pump 28 has a second opening which, through a flexible conduit 30, is adapted to extend up above the level reached in tub 3 and be connected to a drain (not shown). When the pump 19 rotates in the direction to effect a washing operation, the pump 28 pumps from conduit 30 toward conduit 29 to retain water in the washing machine. When removal of the water is intended, during centrifuging operations, the motor 19 is reversed as previously mentioned, and this causes pumping by pump 28 of the liquid down through conduit 29 and out to drain through the conduit 30.

With the structure described thus far, a suitable sequence of operations may be provided in the machine. As one typical cycle, water may be introduced by energization of valve 25 for a period appropriate to fill basket 1 and tub 3 to the desired level. Then the motor 19 is energized in the direction to cause the shaft 18 alone to rotate. As will be explained, this elfects a washing action of the agitator 16 to wash the clothes. After a predetermined period of this washing action, the motor 19 is reversed to cause the basket 1 to rotate at a high centrifuging speed and the pump 28 to remove the liquid from the basket 1 and tub 3- to drain. Liquid centrifuged out of the clothes passes through the perforations 2 into the outer tub 3 and then is removed by the pump. Following this extraction operation, a supply of clean liquid may then be introduced into the basket to rinse the clothes, and the agitator 16 is once more operated by rotation of shaft 13. Finally, the basket may then be once more rotated at high speed to extract the rinse water and discharge it from the clothes for removal by pump 23. All of these operations may be effected automatically in sequence by suitable connections from control 14 to the operating components. The control of the components by conventional sequence control means is well known in the art and therefore is not further described herein.

A number of rigid supports 31 extend up from base 7 and terminate in a flat supporting surface 32. On this supporting surface there is provided a member 33. Member 33 has a lower surface 34, which may slide on surface 32, and an upper surface 35. Surface 35 supports a surface portion 36 of tub 3 in rocking relationship, that is, the tub may rock in all directions within the surface 35 of member 33. Springs 36:: may be provided for centering purposes, to return the moving system to the center of the cabinet after operation. In this manner, the entire moving system of the structure, which includes in the present case the tub 3, basket 1, motor 19, pump 28, transmission 17 and agitator 16, may be supported within cabinet 6. As a result, a substantial part of the vibrational force of the moving system which occurs during high speed rotation of basket 1 is isolated from the cabinet. The various aspects of this suspension and support structure are more fully described and illustrated in Patent 3,026,701 issued on March 27, 1962, to Philip H. Houser and Patent 3,026,700 issued March 27, 1962, to John Bochan and Creighton E. Pool, both assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

As stated, rotation of motor 19 in one direction causes rotation of shaft 18 alone, and rotation of the motor in the other direction causes rotation of shaft 18 and sleeve 23 together. Since flange 21 is rigidly secured to sleeve 23, it can thus be seen that the basket 1 rotates at high speed during centrifuging operations, but is held stationary that is, in non-rotatable relation to the frame, during washing operations when only the shaft 18 rotates. The sleeve 23- is supported for rotation on a non-rotatable portion 37 of the suspended system by means of a ball bearing 38. A suitable conventional sealer device 39 is provided to eliminate as much as possible any passage of liquid from the tub 3 down around the sleeve 23, and a felt shield 40 protects the seal from dirt.

When only the shaft 18 is rotated, this rotation is transmitted through the top of the shaft, which is formed as a driving pinion 41, to a gear 42. In addition to FIGURE 1, FIGURES 3 and 4 may be referred to for a fuller understanding of the positioning and relationship of gears 41 and 42. Gear 42 is mounted on a pin 43 rotatably secured in a member 44 by any suitable means such as, for instance, a bearing structure 45. Member 44 is rigidly secured to the flange member 21 and thus is rigidly secured to basket 1.

Formed with gear 42 so as to be rotatable therewith on pin 43 is a second gear 46. In the preferred embodiment shown of my invention, gear 46 is elliptical. In other words, gear 46 has a non-circular configuration with major and minor axes whose dimensions are determined by the distance between two foci and by the length of the latus rectum, a line extending from a focus at right angles thereto. As best shown in FIGURE 2, the two foci of the elliptical gear 46 are, in the present case, the center of pin 43, that is, the axis on which the gear rotates, and the center of a second pin 47 which extends up from gear 46 and may be secured thereto in any desired manner. For instance, in the present structure this is effected by providing a linking part 43 between the pin 43 and the pin 47. Gear 46 meshes with a gear 49 which is identically elliptical and is mounted through a bearing 50 on a pin 51 secured in member 44. For gear 49, the center of pin 51 constitutes one of the foci and the center of an upstanding pin 42 constitutes the second focus. It will be noted that member 52 is similar to member 47, extending upwardly into basket 1, and being secured to pin 51 by a suitable linking part 53.

It is a known phenomenon that when two meshing elliptical gears are positioned so that each rotates on a focus, the distance between the other foci of the two gears does not change during the rotation. In other Words, the linear distance between pin 47 and pin 52 remains a constant, notwithstanding the rotation of the gears. This can readily be seen by reference to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, in conjunction with FIGURE 2, in which gears 46 and 49 are shown in a total of four difierent rotary positions, and in which it can be seen that the length of a line drawn between the pins 47 and 52 remains unchanging. It can further be seen, in FIGURES 2 and 4, that, in certain positions of the gears, the line drawn between the pins passes through the location of engagement of the gears and also through the axis of rotation of one of the gears.

Pin 47 is appropriately secured through a bearing 54 within an opening 55 of a flexible sealing member 56. Similarly, the pin 52 is rotatably secured within a bearing 57 which in turn is positioned within an opening 58 of flexible member 56. Member 56 is secured to the agitator 16; to effect this, a suitable threaded member 59 may be provided, extending down through the member 5'6 and being threaded into a nut 69 as shown so as to clamp agitator 16 to the member 56. At its base, member 56 is secured to flange 21 by a suitable means such as a clamping ring 61 held down by threaded members 61a. The flexible member 56, thus secured, is provided in order to prevent the entrance of washing liquid beneath the agitator and down into engagement with the gears and the other parts of the transmission.

With the above structure, the agitator 16 is secured on the pins 47 and 52 so that the agitator is forced to move in a horizontal plane on a path determined by the movement of the line between the two pins. What this does, in effect, is to cause a motion of the agitator in which it varies through all of the positions shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5 during each rotation of the gears 46 and 49. It has been found that with a suitably shaped agitator, as will be discussed herebelow, this type of a motion causes a highly desirable and effective washing action on the clothes, causing a water circulation which proceeds substantially along the bottom of basket 1, then upwardly, across the top of the basket, and downwardly to its starting position.

Thus, a complete washing transmission is provided through the provision of only a driving shaft, a gear driven by the driving shaft, and two engaging elliptical gears with appropriately mounted pins, each gear rotating on one focus and having a pin on its other focus extending upwardly and secured to the agitator 16.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 in particular in conjunction with FIGURE 1, a preferred shape of agitator 16 will be described, it being understood that other shapes may also be effective but that this shape in particular has been found to provide optimum washing results. Agitator 16 is formed as a substantially circular member which has a generally flat outside flange 62. Flange 62 blends at its inner edge with a smoothly curved domed base surface 63. It is at the center and top of this surface that the threaded member 59 is inserted so as to retain the agitator in place. On the two opposite sides of the base are a pair of generally vertically extending wall portions 64 and 65 which have their outer surfaces so formed so as to blend smoothly into an outer wall 66. Wall 66 slants down at an angle towards the base of the agitator, the entire surface 66 being smoothly contoured and blended with the vertical walls 64 and 65.

The walls 64 and 65 are formed on or adjacent the line which extends between the pins 47 and 52, and are, in their preferred construction, formed as paddles, being widest where they join the base of the agitator and decreasing in width toward their tops 67 and 68 respectively which are smoothly rounded as shown.

Viewing now the structure of FIGURES 1 and 6 with the understanding of the motion shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5, it can thus be understood that each of the wall surfaces 64 and 65 acts as a paddle. Thus, starting with the position shown in FIGURE 2, as the gears move to the position shown in FIGURE 3, the surface 64 acts in the manner of a paddle to push water before it thus effecting circulation of the water. Then, as the gears pass through the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 5, the surface 65 acts as a I paddle to efliect the water pushing function.

It will be observed that as the surface 64 acts as a paddle, the other end, at surface 65, is moving backward. It Will be understood that the slanting surface decreases greatly the effect of the agitator 16 on the water, much i as turning a paddle when it is moved through the water decreases the resistance of the water to its motion. Thus, as each of the surfaces 64 and 65 moves alternately forward, it eifects a water circulating motion, and as each of these walls moves backward the smoothly slanted configuration of the back of the agitator greatly decreases the reverse effect of the agitator. The result is that there is a very substantial net water circulating effect by the two surfaces 64 and 65. This effect is greatly enhanced by the paths of the two surfaces; as surfaces 64 and 65 move forward alternately, they pass through a curved path of substantial average radius from the center of the agitator, but as they move back they pass through a curve of much smaller average radius. This effect can be likened to the arm motion of a swim mer; the arms move along curved paths remote from the body during the swimming stroke, and close to the body during the return stroke.

It will thus be seen that an improved washing system, including a simple and highly effective transmission and an improved agitator construction, has been provided. It will thus be understood that modifications to the invention may be provided and that in its broadest aspect the invention is not confined to the use of elliptical gears as shown. For instance, conventional circular gears could be used, with each gear having an axis of rotation and an upwardly extending pin removed from that axis. In such a case, the distance between the two upwardly extending pins would change, but if a suitable slot structure were provided so that the pins might slide back and forth, an agitator could be secured thereon. The pins would then guide the agitator while being slidably movable to ward and away from each other. Thus they could pro vide the desired movement of the agitator, even though this would not provide the important and desirable result of having the distance between the pins remain the same so that a rigid securement of the agitator on the pins, through bearings, may be made. In such a case, it will further be recognized that the important point with circular gears would be to position the upstanding pins so that a line through the pins and a line through the axes of rotation of the gears would form an angle of continually changing magnitude during rotation of the gears. This, in effect, is the situation that prevails with the elliptical gears shown in the figures.

Thus, while in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the are that various changes and modifications, such as for instance (but not to exclude others) the one described above, may be made therein without departing from the invention. I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A clothes washing machine comprising:

(a) receptacle means for containing liquid and clothes to be washed;

([2) an agitator positioned in said receptacle means;

(0) driving means;

(d) a first elliptical gear secured to be rotated by said driving means;

(e) a second identical elliptical gear rotatably mounted in meshing engagement with said first gear, said first and second gears each being secured for rotation on a focus thereof;

(f) and first and second members secured to said first and second gears respectively at their second foci respectively;

(g) said agitator having a portion secured to said members so that said agitator moves on a path determined by the movement of a line between said second foci, said agitator being formed to effect a Washing action during such movement.

'2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom of said agitator is secured to said members, and said gears are formed to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane.

3. An agitator member for a vertical axis-type clothes washing machine comprising:

(a) a base;

(b) substantially vertical wall portions extending upwardly substantially along a line through the center of said agitator on either side thereof, said Wall portions both facing in substantially the same direction;

(0) and a smoothly contoured sloping back surface extending from said wall portions down to said base of said agitator.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said vertical wall portions are substantially separate on the opposite sides of said agitator, each said wall surface being wide at its bottom and decreasing in width toward its top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,665,959 Graham et a1 Apr. 10, 1928 2,091,402. Watenworth Aug. 31, 1937 2,230,477 Anderson Feb. 4, 1941 2,575,988 Altorfer Nov. 20, 1951 2,930,215 Smith Mar. 29, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 330,451 Switzerland July 31, 1958 

1. A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A)RECEPTACLE MEANS FOR CONTAINING LIQUID AND CLOTHES TO BE WASHED; (B) AN AGITATOR POSITIONED IN SAID RECEPTACLE MEANS; (C) DRIVING MEANS; (D) A FIRST ELLIPTICAL GEAR SECURED TO BE ROTATED BY SAID DRIVING MEANS; (E) A SECOND IDENTICAL ELLIPTICAL GEAR ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST GEAR, SAID FIRST AND SECOND GEARS EACH BEING SECURED FOR ROTATION ON A FOCUS THEREOF; (F) AND FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND GEARS RESPECTIVELY AT THEIR SECOND FOCI, RESPECTIVELY; (G) SAID AGITATOR HAVING A PORTION SECURED TO SAID MEMBERS SO THAT SAID AGITATOR MOVES ON A PATH DETERMINED BY THE MOVEMENT OF A LINE BETWEEN SAID SECOND FOCI, SAID AGITATOR BEING FORMED TO EFFECT A WASHING ACTION DURING SUCH MOVEMENT.
 3. AN AGITATOR MEMBER FOR A VERTICAL AXIS-TYPE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A BASE; (B) SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALL PORTIONS EXTENDING UP WARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A LINE THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID AGITATOR ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF, SAID WALL PORTIONS BOTH FACING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIRECTION; (C) AND A SMOOTHLY CONTOURED SLOPING BACK SURFACE EXTENDING FROM SAID WALL PORTIONS DOWN TO SAID BASE OF SAID AGITATOR. 